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CONSUMER ORIENTED APPROACHES TO MARKETING URBAN TRANSIT

The study sees marketing as playing a key role in urban transit operations because of its focus on understanding and satisfying consumer needs. Marketing strategy is discussed on the basis of detailed knowledge of the consumer, how te goes about deciding to make a trip, and how he selects a mode of transportation. To facilitate understanding of this decision process and how it may be influenced, a microanalytic model of modal choice behavior was developed in flow chart form. To improve knowledge of these variables, a large scale consumer survey was undertaken in the San Francisco Bay area. Various multivariate statistical techniques are used to analyze the resulting survey data. The study concludes with several proposed strategies to use in the marketing mix.